Henkel has marked its 150th anniversary with novel campaign activations such as bringing its founder, Fritz Henkel, back as an AI-generated avatar to narrate 150 years of the company’s own history, and highlighting its employees, innovations and achievements that contributed to the company’s success through the past 150 years.
The campaign was built around the insight that audiences connect more strongly with people and purpose than with corporate milestones alone. For regional audiences, local relevance was a key consideration. The campaign combined global storytelling with GCC and IMEA-specific content, showcasing Henkel’s presence, growth and contributions across the region.
The campaign launched in conjunction with Henkel’s 150-year anniversary celebrations in 2026 and is being rolled out throughout the anniversary year (2026). Several regional initiatives are being introduced in phases, including the IMEA Heritage Timeline and the Henkel Legacy Podcast, which launches in September 2026. The campaign will end with a gathering of all employees and partners at the end of the year.
The campaign also included a dedicated GCC history timeline on the Henkel site, and an employee-led “Pioneers at Henkel” series, reflecting Henkel’s presence in the Gulf since the early 90s.
The campaign was led by Henkel’s Corporate Communications teams globally and regionally, working in collaboration with its communications agency partners and creative production stakeholders supporting content development, media engagement, digital storytelling and localisation efforts.
The campaign was executed through a multi-channel communications approach, combining global assets with localised regional activations, including:
- Social media storytelling across LinkedIn and other corporate platforms;
- Employee spotlight campaign (“Pioneers at Henkel”), featuring employees across functions, nationalities, and tenures;
- Corporate communications and internal engagement initiatives;
- Media relations activities, including interviews, feature articles and executive thought leadership;
- Digital storytelling assets highlighting Henkel’s heritage and innovation journey;
- Regional heritage timeline content developed specifically for GCC and IMEA audiences;
- Dedicated GCC website timeline showcasing key milestones and achievements;
- AI-powered storytelling content, including heritage-focused social media videos; and
- An upcoming Henkel Legacy Podcast featuring leaders sharing reflections on Henkel’s history and future vision.
The campaign targeted a broad stakeholder audience, including customers and business partners, industry stakeholders, media and influencers, government and institutional stakeholders, local communities across GCC and IMEA markets, prospective employees and young talent, and employees and alumni. The content strategy was tailored to ensure relevance for both internal and external audiences.
The success of the Henkel campaign is being measured through a combination of communications, engagement and reputation indicators, including:
- Media coverage generated across regional and international publications.
- Total audience reach and impressions.
- Social media engagement and content performance.
- Employee participation and advocacy.
- Website traffic to anniversary-related content.
- Share of voice and brand visibility.
- Stakeholder engagement across key audiences.
- Qualitative sentiment around Henkel’s heritage, innovation, and future vision.
